With this project we want to study the relation between the “spitting” behavior and the pregnancy status of 6 alpaca females and subsequently to see if there is a possible the correlation among plasma progesterone levels and the previous mentioned spitting behavior. Based on bibliographic researches, high progesterone levels are a good way to ascertain the pregnancy status of the female and so she should refuse the male presence by spitting at him and trying to escape. We also tried to find a sequence of actions that could predict the spitting behavior performed by the female towards the male. The 6 females studied in this project were divided in two groups because the stallions used were just 3 and each of them was presented to the corresponding female 4 times: mating day (T0), first behavioral pregnancy test (T7), second behavioral pregnancy test (T12) and third behavioral pregnancy test (T15). The encounters were filmed with a camera and subsequently the duration of the chosen behaviors was calculated with the exception of kicking and spitting because, being events, we looked at their occurrence and frequency. The day before each presentation, some blood was collected from the female so to have a trend of how the plasma progesterone levels were changing before and during the first days of pregnancy to then compare the hormonal results with the behavioral ones. The results obtained during this study showed some individual components that did not allowed us to confirm the reliability of the spitting behavior as an indirect method to assess pregnancy in female alpacas, at least during the first 15 days of pregnancy.
Con questo progetto si vuole studiare la relazione tra il comportamento di “sputo” e lo stato di gravidanza di 6 femmine di alpaca e successivamente vedere se esiste una possibile correlazione tra i livelli plasmatici di progesterone e il comportamento di sputo precedentemente menzionato. Sulla base di ricerche bibliografiche, alti livelli di progesterone sono un buon modo per accertare lo stato di gravidanza della femmina e quindi essa dovrebbe rifiutare la presenza del maschio sputandogli addosso e cercando di scappare. Abbiamo anche cercato di trovare una sequenza di azioni che potesse prevedere il comportamento di sputo della femmina nei confronti del maschio. Le 6 femmine studiate in questo progetto sono state divise in due gruppi perché gli stalloni utilizzati erano solo 3 e ognuno di loro è stato presentato alla corrispondente femmina 4 volte: giorno dell'accoppiamento (T0), primo test comportamentale di gravidanza (T7), secondo test comportamentale di gravidanza (T12) e terzo test comportamentale di gravidanza (T15). Gli incontri sono stati ripresi con una telecamera e successivamente è stata calcolata la durata dei comportamenti prescelti ad eccezione dei calci e degli sputi perché, trattandosi di eventi, ne abbiamo guardato l'occorrenza e la frequenza. Il giorno prima di ogni presentazione, veniva prelevato del sangue dalla femmina in modo da avere un andamento dei livelli di progesterone prima e durante i primi giorni di gravidanza per poi confrontare i risultati ormonali con quelli comportamentali. I risultati ottenuti durante questo studio hanno mostrato alcuni componenti individuali che non ci hanno permesso di confermare l'affidabilità del comportamento dello sputo come metodo indiretto per valutare la gravidanza nelle femmine di alpaca, almeno durante i primi 15 giorni di gravidanza.
Mating behaviour and male refusal during early pregnancy in female alpacas
SPALLANZANI, LAURA
2021/2022
Abstract
With this project we want to study the relation between the “spitting” behavior and the pregnancy status of 6 alpaca females and subsequently to see if there is a possible the correlation among plasma progesterone levels and the previous mentioned spitting behavior. Based on bibliographic researches, high progesterone levels are a good way to ascertain the pregnancy status of the female and so she should refuse the male presence by spitting at him and trying to escape. We also tried to find a sequence of actions that could predict the spitting behavior performed by the female towards the male. The 6 females studied in this project were divided in two groups because the stallions used were just 3 and each of them was presented to the corresponding female 4 times: mating day (T0), first behavioral pregnancy test (T7), second behavioral pregnancy test (T12) and third behavioral pregnancy test (T15). The encounters were filmed with a camera and subsequently the duration of the chosen behaviors was calculated with the exception of kicking and spitting because, being events, we looked at their occurrence and frequency. The day before each presentation, some blood was collected from the female so to have a trend of how the plasma progesterone levels were changing before and during the first days of pregnancy to then compare the hormonal results with the behavioral ones. The results obtained during this study showed some individual components that did not allowed us to confirm the reliability of the spitting behavior as an indirect method to assess pregnancy in female alpacas, at least during the first 15 days of pregnancy.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/40967